Harper's Young People, August 17, 1880: An Illustrated WeeklyVarious
History
Harper's Young People, August 17, 1880: An Illustrated Weekly
Various
Children's periodicals, American
They looked up the canal, and finally discovered a naked arm waving
frantically from behind a barn that stood near the water. "They must be
behind that barn," said Tom. "Why, the mosquitoes will eat 'em alive.
I'll take their clothes to them right away." So saying, Tom gathered up
the shirts, trousers, and hats of the two unhappy divers, and ran with
them to their owners. He found Harry and Joe crouched behind the barn,
chattering with cold, and surrounded by clouds of eager mosquitoes.
"We've been here half an hour," cried Joe, "and the mosquitoes would
have finished us in another half hour. I think my right leg is nearly
gone already."
"And I know I must have lost a gallon of blood," said Harry.
The boys hurriedly dressed themselves, and returning to the boat, helped
to put it on the wagon; and with the wet shoes hanging from the
cart-rungs they started on their ride to Warrensburg. It was a hot and
tedious ride, and as the wagon had no springs, the boys were bumped so
terribly that they ached all over. They tried to sing, but the words
were bumped out of them in the most startling way; and after singing one
verse of the "Star-spangled Banner" in this fashion,
"The St-t-tar-spangl-led-led ba-a-an-na-na--"
they gave it up.
About four o'clock they reached Warrensburg, and after getting some dry
sugar to replace that which had been mixed with canal water, they
launched the boat and rowed up the river. They found it a narrow stream,
with a rapid current and a good depth of water. After their tiresome
ride the smooth motion of the boat seemed delightful, and they were
really sorry when they found it was so late that they must camp for the
night.
They chose a pleasant sandy spot between the river and the edge of a
thick wood. The opposite bank was also thickly wooded, and they felt as
if they were in the depths of a wilderness, though in reality there were
houses quite near at hand. They pitched their tent, made a good
supper--of which they were in need, for they had eaten very little at
noon--and then "turned in."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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